A federal lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday accuses New York Knicks owner James Dolan of sexual assault and trafficking. The plaintiff, Kellye Croft, a former massage therapist, accuses Dolan of pressuring her into unwanted sexual encounters during her tenure on The Eagles' 2013 concert tour, where Dolan's band, JD & The Straight Shot, served as an opening act.
The suit claims Dolan persistently summoned her to his room during the tour, making unwelcome advances and pressuring her into sexual acts. Croft claims Dolan manipulated her into a sexual relationship despite Croft's explicit refusal of any sexual interactions.
The legal saga extends into January 2014, when Dolan and music manager Irving Azoff flew the plaintiff, Kellye Croft, from New York to Los Angeles, under the guise of reinstating her role as The Eagles' masseuse during the ongoing tour with JD & The Straight Shot. Azoff's corporate entities took care of Croft's travel costs.
Following her arrival in California, Dolan allegedly encouraged Croft to join assistants from Irving Azoff Management for shopping and dinner in Los Angeles. It was following this outing that Croft was introduced to Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie producer who is currently serving a prison sentence for rape and sexual assault charges.
The lawsuit contends that upon her return to the hotel where Dolan was paying for her stay, she ironically ran into Weinstein in the elevator. He introduced himself and informed her that he was close friends with Dolan. He also emphasized that he could potentially give her job opportunities in the entertainment industry and invited her into his room. She alleges she was then sexually assaulted by him after she refused to give him a private massage.
Currently, both Dolan and Weinstein’s attorneys have denied Croft’s allegations.
